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Lucid Motors introduces new Lucid Air Sapphire EV

Credit: Lucid Motors

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Lucid Motors introduced a new tri-motor EV that is named after a gemstone: the Lucid Air Sapphire. Earlier this week, Lucid Motors hinted at some extraordinary news to be announced today (August 19) which sparked rumors of a tri-motor Air variant being launched soon. Today, those rumors have been proven true.

The three-motor powertrain has a twin motor rear-drive unit and a single motor front-drive unit. In a press release, Lucid noted that the three-motor powertrain will deliver over 1,200 hp and accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds. Lucid also said that it goes from zero to 100 mph sub-nine-second quarter mile and that its top speed exceeded 200 mph.

Aside from the three motors, the new Sapphire variant features carbon-ceremaic brakes, new sports seats, and a track-tuned suspension. Production of the new vehicle starts during the first half of 2023.

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Peter Rawlinson, CEO, and CTO of Lucid Group said that Sapphire builds upon the company’s technical prowess to take electric high-performance to the next level. “Sapphire represents the pinnacle of electric performance; finally achieving the performance that I’ve so long searched for. After painstaking development work, I am able to confirm Lucid Air Sapphire has achieved a satisfactory performance, and I trust the most discerning drivers will agree.”

Derek Jenkins, Lucid’s SVP of Brand and Design, spoke of why Lucid chose the name Sapphire.

“Sapphire is among the most valued gemstones, prized for their brilliance, color, and hardness. Imperial Blue has long been the de facto national color for American motorsports teams engaged in international competitions. As Lucid’s dedicated ultra-high-performance brand, Sapphire references this history while setting new standards for innovation and technology.”

Although sapphires come in every color but red (red being reserved for ruby), blue sapphire is the most commonly known with Padparadscha sapphires being among the rarest. For a deep dive into sapphire and its legends and lore, here’s a great article.

The goal with the brand new Sapphire model is to complement the powertrain, Davide Lickfold, Lucid’s Director of Chassis and Vehicle Dynamics emphasized.

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“Our aim with this, our first Sapphire model, is to complement the exceptional powertrain with sharper, more responsive driving dynamics and increased body control.”

“At the same time, it was important to retain the exceptional ride quality for which Lucid Air has come to be known.”

The design of the new variant is what the company called a holistic approach to development. In addition to launching the new Sapphire variant, Lucid is also launching a new Sapphire Blue exterior paint that will be exclusive to its Sapphire vehicles which will be finished exclusively in the new color to mark the brand’s introduction.

The new variant will cost $249,000 and Lucid will begin taking reservations on August 23, 2022, at 12 pm Eastern Time (9 am Pacific Time). Lucid plans to make its public debut of the new variant at the Quail Lodge during Monterey Car Week.

Your feedback is important. If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1

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SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver almost looked like it was AI-generated.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX has shared a video of a remarkable feat achieved by Starship’s Super Heavy booster during its 11th flight test.

The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver, which was captured on video, almost looked like it was AI-generated.

Super Heavy’s picture perfect hover

As could be seen in the video shared by SpaceX, Starship’s Super Heavy booster, which is nearly 400 feet tall, smoothly returned to Earth and hovered above the Gulf of America for a few seconds before it went for its soft water landing. The booster’s picture-perfect maneuver before splashing down all but capped a near-flawless mission for Starship, which is about to enter its V3 era with Flight 12.

The booster’s balance and stability were so perfect that some users on X joked that the whole thing looked AI-generated. Considering the size of Super Heavy, as well as the fact that the booster was returning from space, the hovering display all but showed that SpaceX is dead serious about keeping its dominant lead in the spaceflight sector.

Starship V2’s curtain call

As noted in a Space.com report, Flight Test 11 achieved every major goal SpaceX had set for the mission, including deploying Starlink mass simulators, relighting Raptor engines in space, and executing a stable reentry for both the Starship Upper Stage and the Super Heavy booster. The feat also marked the second time a Super Heavy booster has been reflown, a milestone in SpaceX’s quest to make the entire Starship system fully reusable.

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Starship’s V2 vehicle will now give way to the upgraded Starship V3, which is designed for faster turnaround and higher payload capacity. The Starship program is expected to pursue even more aggressive targets in the coming months as well, with Elon Musk stating on social media platform X that SpaceX will attempt a tower catch for Starship Upper Stage as early as spring 2026.

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After moving Tesla to Texas, Elon Musk is back in the Bay Area with Neuralink expansion

The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.

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Credit: Steve Jurvetson/Twitter

Recent reports have indicated that Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, has leased a five-story, 144,000-square-foot building in South San Francisco. At the same time, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is reportedly also looking around for a Bay Area office. 

The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.

Neuralink’s Bay Area expansion

As noted in a report from the San Francisco Business Times, the property that Neuralink has leased is located at 499 Forbes Boulevard, and it was built by Aralon Properties before it was leased to cancer test developer InterVenn Biosciences. The site, however, had remained vacant since 2023 after InterVenn canceled its 10-year lease.

xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, is reportedly scouting for an even larger Bay Area office as well, as noted in a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. Combined, the two ventures could secure nearly 400,000 square feet of local workspace, a move seen as a symbolic return of sorts for Musk-led innovation to Silicon Valley.

Neuralink’s momentum

Founded in 2016, Neuralink develops brain-computer interfaces intended to help paralyzed patients control digital devices through thought. The company received U.S. regulatory approval in 2023 to begin human trials, with its first patient, quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh, making headlines for his stunning ability to control a computer cursor and play games using only his mind. Since receiving his implant, Arbaugh has stated that he now browses the web, plays video games like Mario Kart, studies neuroscience, and operates his smart home without lifting a finger. 

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Nauralink is only just getting started, with Elon Musk noting on X that the company is busy preparing its next product, Blindsight, for human trials. As per Musk, Neuralink is “aiming to restore (limited) sight to the completely blind next year,” an aggressive target for a potentially life-changing device.

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Tesla Cybercab tests seem to be ramping up again

Elon Musk has stated that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually.

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Credit: @serobinsonjr/X

Tesla seems to be ramping the tests of its autonomous two-seater, the Cybercab, once more. This was hinted at in recent drone footage from both the Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas.

The fresh sightings of the Cybercab in the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas have renewed conversations about the vehicle potentially being built with manual controls today. 

Fresh Cybercab tests

As noted by longtime drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer on social media platform X, he recently spotted a Cybercab driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road to the West side. Interestingly enough, the longtime Giga Texas watcher noted that this was the first Cybercab that he had seen conducting road tests in a while.

Over in the Fremont Factory, another Cybercab was spotted driving around the facility’s testing area. Similar to the Cybercab in the Giga Texas sighting, the vehicle that was spotted in the Fremont Factory seemed to be manually driven, at least based on the way it was being steered. This behavior has incited speculations among Tesla watchers that current Cybercab test units have manual controls, unlike their production version, which would have no steering wheel or pedals. 

Cybercab production preparation

The sightings of Cybercabs around the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas bode well for the vehicle’s development and impending production. It does, if any, complement reports that Tesla has been busy setting up production equipment for Giga Texas’ Cybercab production line. At the same time, drone footage around the Giga Texas complex has also revealed that Tesla is stockpiling some Cybercab castings, a likely sign that initial test production of the vehicle might soon begin.

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The Cybercab is expected to be Tesla’s highest volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk stating that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually. He also mentioned that the Cybercab will be easy to produce thanks to its Unboxed manufacturing process, so much so that its production would resemble a high-speed consumer electronics line instead of an automotive assembly line.

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